Many luminaires incorporate reflectors to increase the efficiency of their light output. Reflectors can be formed in a variety of shapes and sizes and are typically designed and oriented to provide optimized light distribution for particular applications. Accordingly, they may be symmetrical or asymmetrical depending on the desired light output distribution. The most common reflector for a luminaire is a symmetrical reflector. Because the reflector surrounds the lamp to reflect the light, it is usually fashioned from a single piece of material or is fashioned from multiple pieces of material to constitute a single reflector.
As mentioned, a standard reflector for a luminaire is a symmetrical design. The reflector surrounds the lamp and reflects the light downward in a substantially round distribution pattern. Because the lamp is almost always placed within the volume defined by the reflector, the wide angle illumination of a lamp and reflector combination is limited to the light that is directly emitted from the lamp and/or is reflected by the reflector and then passes below the edge of the reflector or luminaire body without contacting any part of the luminaire. This limitation results in a relatively limited wide angle light distribution pattern below the luminaire. To an extent, this difficulty can be addressed by lowering the lamp within the reflector volume or raising the reflector with respect to the lamp. However, this can result in increased glare and eye strain. Additionally, in having a reflector that surrounds the lamp some of the light is reflected multiple times within the reflector thereby reducing the efficiency of the luminaire. Further, some of the light is reflected back through the lamp itself which can result in reduced lamp life and reduced efficiency.
While other reflectors have been designed specifically to provide wide angle lighting distribution patterns, they are subject to different design considerations and usually result in decreased light intensity in certain regions in order to maximize the light intensity in other desired areas. While this provides an improved luminaire for specific lighting applications, such luminaires have limited utility for other lighting applications.
Thus, there is a substantial need for a reflector that can increase luminaire efficiency while providing increased wide angle lighting.